Durable and Regenerable Superhydrophobic Coating on Steel Surface for Corrosion Protection

Corrosion limits the usage of steel and leads to the tremendous loss of the economy. Superhydrophobic coating is proven an effective way to prevent corrosion due to its excellent water repellent nature. Herein, we describe the successful preparation of superhydrophobic coating on steel surface which is synthesized by using chemical etching technique with mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid followed by treatment with lauric acid. By optimizing the etching process parameters, superhydrophobicity with water static contact angle of 170° and tilt angle of 5° is successfully achieved. Coated steel is found to be thermal, chemical, and mechanical stable. Besides, coating has also good regenerability. Furthermore, coating exhibits the excellent self-cleaning and anti-fogging properties. The electrochemical study is revealed the enhancement of corrosion resistance of steel after coating. This facile strategy inspires the large-scale fabrication of multifunctional steel surfaces for practical applications in self-cleaning, anti-fogging, and corrosion protection.